Miriam at the River

On August 27 many faith communities read the sacred stories of strong women: the midwives Shiphrah and Puah; Moses’ mother and his sister, Miriam; and the Pharoah’s daughter (Exodus 1:8-2:10). Excitement bubbles up within me every time we reach this passage because it invites us to dwell with stories of women who creatively and faithfully fight the oppressive powers at the time. Their stories are rich in wonder of where we are in these stories and how we can follow God today.

“Miriam at the River” by Jane Yolen and Khoa Le explore this story from Miriam’s perspective. Yolen’s words and Le’s illustrations create a colorful backdrop to engage this sacred story. What was Miriam thinking and feeling as she watched her baby brother float along the river? What did she see? What did she fear? And what did she hope?

The line that my imagination is dwelling with is “Sometimes courage comes from what you do, sometimes from what you do not do.” I wonder what in this picture book will catch your Holy imagination.

“Miriam at the River” by Jane Yolen and Khoa Le. Published by Kar-ben Publishing, Inc. in 2020.